SkyDemon Forums

SD and Connection to autopilot kit - the latest?

http://forums.skydemon.aero/Topic26771.aspx

By Tim Dawson - 8/28/2018 1:29:46 PM

We would only produce such a feature if a lot of people wanted it AND simple hardware means existed by which such a transfer could be made from the modern consumer tablets that 99% of our users are using to an autopilot.

So far we've been contacted by various customer who would like this, but who are usually using some kind of setup with lots of long words (as above) which is very obviously not going to be a mass-market "it just works" solution.
By knottygreg - 8/30/2018 6:26:02 AM

Tim - I am a little surprised with your reaction to Semperfis post, especially as a technical person. He/she seems not only to be offering potential solutions, but the detail around them as well - (those ‘long words’).

Sending NMEA out using GDL90 for example does not appear to be technically too difficult now that it works to receive GPS data from external GPS devices?

Could you be a little clearer in answering if SD will ever facilitate NMEA out please? One of the attractions of SD has always been the fairly responsive implementation of customer suggestions - so if that is changing - and specifically if the NMEA answer is ‘never’ - then I can set course in a different direction for the enhancement of my cockpit avionics solution.
By Tim Dawson - 8/30/2018 4:27:07 PM

We have no current plans to implement this. We are not aware of any mass-market product which communicates with GDL90 and that has the capacity to receive NMEA in return to drive an autopilot, so it's unclear whether you are talking about a potential use case or an actual use case.

We reserve the right to change our minds at any point and without any notice, because we are human beings.
By Chris_LSZO - 8/31/2018 11:16:50 AM

 
Tim Dawson - 8/30/2018 4:27:07 PM
We have no current plans to implement this. We are not aware of any mass-market product which communicates with GDL90 and that has the capacity to receive NMEA in return to drive an autopilot, so it's unclear whether you are talking about a potential use case or an actual use case.

We reserve the right to change our minds at any point and without any notice, because we are human beings.

Just for Info: Easy-VFR offer this useful feature. I hope, SD will offer this too. Sure, I can copy/paste a route into another device. But If I want change the route in flight there is no acceptable workaround to send this new route to the autopilot. Sad


Chris
By Tim Dawson - 9/1/2018 7:50:22 AM

If you want to use another product because it offers something you need, use that other product. Other companies have different attitudes towards implementing every feature requested of them, and their products have a different place in the market. Fill your boots. Our position on this particular feature has been clearly stated and mentioning other products on our forum will serve no useful purpose.
By Chris_LSZO - 9/1/2018 8:26:20 AM

 
Tim Dawson - 9/1/2018 7:50:22 AM
If you want to use another product because it offers something you need, use that other product. Other companies have different attitudes towards implementing every feature requested of them, and their products have a different place in the market. Fill your boots. Our position on this particular feature has been clearly stated and mentioning other products on our forum will serve no useful purpose.


No Tim. I want you implement good ideas from other products. Thats all...
I fly with autopilot and it would be very cool to have this feature in SD also.

Chris
By knottygreg - 8/24/2018 3:11:20 PM

I have just read the forums about this topic and I'm now wondering if the debate has moved on?

I use SD in an iPad Mini 4 (alongside??) iLevils own AHRS GUI in my Europa Mono - both work well and reliably

1: Tim: from what i can glean, you are reluctant to interface SD routes/output NMEA to external devices.  Could you explain for the benefit of the Forum contributors at least, why please?

SD's GDL90 connection to my iLevil works really well for displaying position data and ADSB data on my real-time SD display.  Now i would really like to send the SD route data back to e.g. a Trutrak or Navaid roll-axis (and eventually pitch axis) autopilot.

2: Are the legal profession the problem (again)?

3: Would the development of an Wifi interface box to a range of AP controllers, help SD bridge the gap?


A loyal - and mostly pleased - SD user (not a troublemaker), asking . . .
By Tim Dawson - 8/29/2018 10:35:02 AM

What were you hoping to achieve with that post, SemperFi?